Salmon with Pumpkin Pasta

Yes, I understand that pumpkin is mostly a fall ingredient, but squash is in season during the winter. Hey, pumpkins are a squash! I know technicalities. I still love pumpkin. In this recipe you get a slight pumpkin flavor, and the nutmeg really makes it just perfect.

It is kind of sad that the holidays are over; it's my favorite time of year. Well, now that it's a new year, it's a chance to make this one better than the last. 2014 wasn't a horrible year, though there are some things that didn't go perfectly. Of course that happens with every year. I know 2015 will be hard, but I know we can push through and make it great! Happy New Year!!

Healthy Halibut with Strawberry and Poblano Relish

Ever since I started cooking, I have gotten more and more into the presentation. At first I didn't care how it was presented, as long as it tasted good. Now that I have learned so much, I am all about pretty food. With every dish, I try really hard to make sure everything is cut evenly and that it still looks as good as it tastes. I find myself getting upset if something goes wrong. My husband can definitely tell you how my mood will go from high to low when I mess up. Once I had friends over and they were laughing at me because I was upset about a dish I was making. I knew it would taste okay, but something went wrong and I knew it wasn't going to look as good as I wanted. In the end it all looked fine and tasted fantastic.

Well, that tangent was all because I love the look of this dish. The gorgeous white fish with the vibrant green cilantro and bright red strawberries. I mean, who can say no to something so pretty!

Grilled Salmon with Basil Sauce

When you love to cook, you kind of need people to cook for. Sounds about right...right? For the last few weeks, and a couple more to go, my husband has been out in the field. After the first few nights I realized how boring it is without him. Mind you we have no kids, so it's just me and our two year old dog. Well, since it's summer she gets tired after ten minutes of play, and sleeps for hours on end. Therefore, she is absolutely no help to my boredom. I keep finding recipes I want to make, but it serves a million people. I have made a few of those, and had lunch for work and dinner for the next night. Maybe it's just me though, but I can't stand eating the same thing for every meal, or more than two nights in a row. That just means leftovers go to waste when it's just me. Enough of my venting!

Thankfully, when I found this recipe my husband was still home so I was able to eat delectable flaky salmon. Now that the weather is ridiculously hot and I'm melting slowly, I need recipes that will not turn the oven on and make our house 20 degrees warmer. That is where the grill comes in. Then when you put salmon on that grill, it makes life perfect. This was such a simple dish, but full of flavor. Prepping the salmon couldn't be easier, and you get a great smoky flavor from the grill. Once you pour over the sauce, you have an inexpensive dish that doesn't taste cheap at all!

Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa

It's grilling weather!! Time to get outside and grill anything you can find. Okay maybe not anything, but I bet you could find something. :) If you don't have the ability to grill outside I will strongly suggest getting a cast iron grill pan. That pan as gotten so much action in my kitchen in the winter time when it was impossible to grill outside. The cast iron still gives it a little bit of a smokey flavor and always produces beautiful grill marks, you know if you are like me and like your food to look pretty.

Along with grilling it's also a great time for avocados. So many things to get out a do after being stuck in the house for months with freezing temperatures and snow. Now get outside and fire up that grill with this light and fast seafood meal. If you wanted to grill a different type of fish go for it, I have always preferred salmon. Plus salmon is a great fish that holds up to grilling.

Sirloin Kebabs with Rosemary Sprigs

There are days when I just crave a delicious juicy steak, but I don't want to go through the hassle of cooking it to perfect medium-rare. Cutting it up into small squares really quickens the cooking process, making my life so much easier. Then instead of using boring old skewers, take a couple sturdy sprigs of rosemary and add a completely different level of flavor. I was a little skeptical too, but it was great to have that extra boost of flavor. There was nothing boring about these!

Sirloin Kebabs with Rosemary Sprigs
Everyday with Rachael Ray - Dec 2012 issue

Ingredients:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2lbs beer sirloin, cubed
6 sturdy rosemary sprigs

Directions:

1. Combine oil, garlic, chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add cubed beef sirloin; refrigerate and let marinade for up to 15 minutes. 
2. Thread the beef onto the rosemary sprigs, piercing with the stem end. 
3. Over medium-high heat, grill meat, turning once, 8-10 minutes for medium-rare. 

Serves 6

Grilled Peaches with Frozen Yogurt

I have always wanted to do a grilled fruit recipe. One day near the end of summer I couldn't take it anymore and just had to grill up some peaches. It was a little chilly that day so I pulled out my cast iron grill pan. In just a few minutes I had some beautifully caramelized peaches that were tender and juicy. The frozen yogurt instantly starts to melt from the heat of the peaches and the toasted coconut adds a sweet texture to each bite. While toasting the coconut my house smelled so good! If I could toast those babies every night I would. This is definitely something everyone has to try. Even if it's snowing outside, pull out a grill pan and get grilling! Totally worth it. :)

Grilled Peaches with Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients:

3 peaches, cut in half

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons toasted coconut flakes

1 1/2 cups frozen yogurt

1 tablespoon honey (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat grill to high.
2. Brush peaches with oil. Grill until tender. 
3. Plate 2 halves with a scoop of frozen yogurt and garnish with coconut flakes.

Serves 3.

Nutrition: (2 peach halves and 1/2 cup frozen yogurt) Calories 154; Fat 4g; Carb 28g; Cholesterol 0mg; Protein 4g; Fiber 2g

Spicy Steak Marinade

It's Sunday, and that means football right? Well, that could also mean that you pull the grill out one last time. I know, I know...it's fall, but if you are up here in the Pacific Northwest you are looking at clear blue skies and 70º weather. I say that would be a great day to heat up that grill before it starts to rain for 100 days in a row. 

One day I was craving something spicy, but I was also in the mood for a grilled steak. Then it hit, spicy marinaded steak! I spent my day looking up marinade recipes but I couldn't find one that would help with my craving. So when I got home that night I looked around in my fridge and just pulled out the ingredients that I liked. You can change up the measurements to fit your taste if you want to. I like things with a kick, but you don't have to beat up your taste buds like I do with mine. :)

A great way to marinade meat. Just place your marinade and meat in a ziplock bag. I place the bag in a baking dish to eliminate any spillage in the fridge. Marinade the steaks for at least 5 hours or all night. 

Spicy Steak Marinade

Ingredients:
1/2 cup hot sauce
1/4 onion thinly sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/8 cup worcestershire sauce
1/8 red wine vinegar

Direction:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, whisking until well mixed. Pour over desired steak, marinade at least 5 hours.

Grilled Zucchini Caprese Sandwich

If you are looking for a quick and nutritious lunch sandwich you definitely need to try this. It's also a great recipe if you have a lot of left over zucchini. I don't know if you are like me, and buy way too much zucchini, then you need to find a way to use those up before they go bad right? Well, that is where I was a couple weeks ago. I had to buy a pack of 5 when I only needed 1 zucchini. I throughly enjoy zucchini so I wasn't too worried that I wouldn't use them up. Never fret when you have too much zucchini, there is always a delicious way to use them!

Grilled Zucchini Caprese Sandwich
Cooking Light


Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 6 slices
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 garlic close, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 (2oz) ciabatta rolls, split and toasted
8 large fresh basil leaves
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
6 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Direction:

1. Heat a large gril pan over medium-high heat. Place zucchini in a shallow bowl. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil and garlic; toss to coat. Arrange zucchini in grill pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear. Cut each zucchini piece in half crosswise. Return zucchini to shallow dish. Drizzle with vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
2. Brush bottom of halves of rolls with remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Top evenly with zucchini, basil, tomato, and mozzarella.
3. Brush cut side of roll tops with remaining liquid from shallow dish, and place on sandwiches. Heat the sandwiches in pan until warm.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition: (1 sandwich) Calories 343; Fat 16.8g; Protein 15.4g; Carb 35.3g; Cholesterol 33.6mg

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Peach Salsa and Crispy Asparagus

I told you all I would be MIA this last week. My husband came home for a week of leave, and that week filled up fast. Everyone who loves him wanted to see him, and we had side plans for a stay at the beach, it was like we packed a year into one week. I was happy that it went by quite slowly, but now that I just took him to the airport this morning, I am wishing it could have lasted longer. Now my second count down begins for the next half of this tour!

In the next few days I have to get back into my routine, so I thought I would start with a post! This recipe was something I had been wanting to try. I have seen salsas with mangos and oranges before, but I was never sure about them. For some reason a sweet salsa didn't sound appetizing to me. Well, for a couple weeks I was craving peaches like crazy and when I found this recipe and I really wanted to try. I was surprised how all of the different flavors blended together. The sweetness of the peaches, the citrus from the lime, and a little kick of spice from the jalapenos. You wouldn't think those would taste good together, but with a hot grilled piece of chicken the flavors really came together and make for one fabulous dinner!

Who needs fries when you can get the same crispy texture, with tons more nutrition from these crispy baked asparagus?!

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Peach Salsa and Crispy Asparagus
Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Cookbook


Ingredients:
Salsa:
1 cup chopped peaches (peeled if desired)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper
Dash salt

Chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat cast iron grill pan on medium heat. In a medium bowl, combine peaches, lime juice and brown sugar; mix well. Stir in bell pepper, onion, jalapeno, and dash of salt.
2. Place 1 chicken breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper. Working from center, gently pour with flat side of mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick; remove wrap. Repeat with remaining chicken breast.
3. When ready to grill, lightly sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; then brush lightly with olive oil  on both sides of breasts. Place chicken on grill pan, cook 6-10 minutes or until chicken is fork tender and juices run clear, turning once. Serve chicken with salsa.

Serves 4.

Nutrition: (1/4 of recipe) Calories 160; Fat 3g; Cholesterol 75mg; Fiber 1g; Protein 27g; Carb 6g

Crispy Baked Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste

2 egg whites

Bunch of asparagus (20-30 pieces depending on size)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425º and line a baking sheet with foil, place a wire rack on the foil. 
2. Gently find the breaking point of each asparagus, and discard the bottoms. Wash and dry stalks.
3. Combine panko, parmesan, and salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Lightly beat the egg whites in a separate shallow dish. 
4. Dip each stalk into the egg whites then into the panko bread crumbs; if crumbs are not sticking dip into egg whites one more time and repeat. Place on wire rack on baking sheet lined with foil. Repeat until all asparagus stalks are covered. 
5. Bake for 20 minutes until bread crumbs turn golden brown. 

Serves 4.

Nutrition: Calories 183; Fat 5g; Carbs 22mg; Cholesterol 6mg; Protein 13g; Fiber 3g

Grilled Raspberry and Rosemary-Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

Ever since I bought my cast iron grill pan, I have been trying to find reasons to use it. As much as I like grilling outdoors, I want to find as many recipes for indoor grilling as I can. We are in the Pacific Northwest where summer lasts for like two weeks. The char on the drumsticks was a bit more than what I would have liked, but I am still learning how to use my cast iron pan and I turned the heat on a little too high at first. You should have seen my kitchen, it was a little hazy there for a couple minutes. Oh how I love fanning my smoke detector so it doesn't go off. I'm sure everyone has had to do that once or twice right...right?! :)

Grilled Raspberry and Rosemary-Glazed Chicken Drumsticks
Betty Crocker's Healthy New Choices


Ingredients:
1/4 cup seedless raspberry spreadable fruit
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1/4 tablespoon rosemary, minced
2 pounds chicken drumsticks, skin removed

Directions:

1. Mix spreadable fruit, lemon juice, mustard, and rosemary; brush on drumsticks. 
2. Heat cast iron grill pan on medium heat, when hot brush lightly with oil. Grill drumsticks 5-6 minutes per side, 25-30 mins until center reaches 160º with thermometer or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Occasionally brush with extra fruit mixture. To make chicken cook faster, and prevent lots of splatter, cover lightly with any kind of pan lid. 
3. To Broil: Set oven control to broil. Place chicken on broiler pan. Brush with fruit mixture. Broil chicken with tips 7 to 9 inches from heat 20 minutes; turn. Brush with fruit mixture. Broil 10 to 15 minutes longer or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. 

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: (2 drumsticks) Calories 270; Fat 12g; Cholesterol 90mg; Sodium 130mg; Carb 10g; Fiber 0g; Protein 30g

Pulled Pork Panini

After my day of slow-cooking I found that I had plenty of Pulled Pork left over to feed a family of 10. I then spent the next couple days finding ways to use those left overs. Then I came across this naan bread at the store. All of a sudden I was in the mood for a warm pork panini. This really is a fast recipe, the only time taking part is the caramelization of the onions. Now don't judge me on my onions, it was my first time making them. Perfection comes with practice and I plan on making them again many times! 

The one surprise from this was the bread. It came out of the panini press crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. A few days later I paired the second bread with a large bowl of pasta, and it was fantastic. I have found recipes for naan bread and I plan on making it very soon! 

Pulled Pork Panini


Ingredients:
1 flatbread, wrap, pita, or naan
1 onion, caramlized
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup bbq pulled pork
1 -2 tablespoons cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Heat a non stick skillet to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and onion julienned. Stirring occasionally so onions don't stick, cook until onion is brown and soft; about 20-30 minutes. 
2. Place pork on 1/2 of bread, layer with cheese and onions. Press in a panini press and cook until heated through. Cut in half.

Serves 2

Nutrition: Calories 413; Fat 19g; Cholesterol 51mg; Carb 41mg; Fiber 5g; Protein 25g